


Renege

by cutsycat



Series: Dictionary.Com Word of the Day Drabbles [949]
Category: Bull (TV 2016), NCIS
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2019-01-31 02:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12666693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cutsycat/pseuds/cutsycat
Summary: Tony has left NCIS, leaving his whole identity behind after a huge fallout with the team. He's become Jason Bull. What happens when he's asked to work a case with the MCRT?





	Renege

**Author's Note:**

  * For [VickeyStar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VickeyStar/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [VickeyStar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VickeyStar/pseuds/VickeyStar) in the [NCIS_Prompts_2017](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017) collection. 



> Another dictionary.com word of the day drabble. This time from 12/06/2001 for the word [renege](http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/2001/12/06/renege).
> 
> renege  
> To go back on a promise or commitment.
> 
> This was requested by VickeyStar who prompted me through [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017/profile). I hope she likes it. 
> 
> **Prompt:**
> 
> Hi, so I was wondering if you could write something about Tony being Jason Bull, and he has to help Gibbs and the NCIS team after having a big falling out with them a couple years back? Thanks!
> 
> **End Prompt**  
> 
> As always comments, kudos, and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. 
> 
> Prompts are open. More information is available at the end of the work if you want to prompt me yourself.

# 

Renege

Tony looked at his meager belongings as a wave of sadness washed over him. He’d worked at NCIS for many years and he wished he didn’t have to leave, but after the falling out he’d had with the team there was no way he could stay. Vance had even offered him his own team, but it just didn’t feel right.

Gibbs and Tony hadn’t been getting along properly for years now. There had been too many times that Gibbs had stomped all over him. The team, too, had gotten used to using him as a carpet. 

Tony had finally gotten fed up with it and he’d had a knockdown drag out fight with Gibbs that had led to them both getting temporarily suspended. No one had blamed him for it, but Gibbs hadn’t really been punished either. The double standards had just dragged Tony down further. 

When McGee and Ziva had started in on him, Tony had decided to leave before it got any worse. He’d given his badge and gun to Vance already. He’d waited until everyone else had left for the day before packing his things. 

Maybe it was cowardly, but he just couldn’t take anymore abuse and wanted to be completely gone before they realized he was leaving. He’d talked with Marissa, a friend of his, and they’d decided to set up a business on the other side of things. This time he'd go after the bad guys from the courtroom side instead of the side of catching the bad guys.

No one at NCIS knew, but he’d been pursuing a degree in criminal justice over the last 6 years. Well pursuing may be the wrong word as he’d gotten the degree and was just doing random courses that interested him now. In the process and mock trials that happened during some of the courses, Tony realized that there was a whole science towards how to present something to the various members of the jury and to picking the members of the jury, so that they would see things the way you wanted them too. 

An old friend of his, Benny Colón, heard about the business they were setting up and offered to help out with the mock trials. He also offered to be a lawyer if they needed it, since he’d had a falling out with his previous company, but was still perfectly qualified to be a lawyer. Tony also reached out to a hacker friend, Cable, that he’d never told anyone at NCIS about, but had occasionally used while he still worked there. 

Most of the time, he’d just paid Cable to erase evidence of his academic pursuits. His successes in academia were just for him. He didn’t want everyone finding out about them. Especially not the people that just saw him as a walking carpet and would accuse him of cheating if they found out that he actually had a brain.

This time though, he wanted Cable to change his name. He wanted Anthony DiNozzo to be completely erased from existence. In his place, he wanted Jason Bull, brilliant trial consultant. 

Cable only agreed if she could join his team. Tony didn’t see the harm and agreed. Along the way, they picked up a few others as well. 

It would take some time getting used to be called Jason instead of Tony. It would also take a while for the team to get used to calling him Jason or Dr. Bull instead of Tony. Many of them had known him during his undercover days and were used to him changing names, so they’d manage.

The trial consultant business went better than Tony expected. His Jason Bull personality really ignited people and drew attention to their business. They pulled in more and more clients and grew at a steady rate. 

So steady, in fact, that Vance and other high level agencies had taken notice and a few had approached him to consult on their criminal cases as they went to court. Tony had been leery about doing this as he was afraid that it would put him in contact with Gibbs or the team and everyone would figure out that Jason Bull was Tony DiNozzo. Then he remembered that Gibbs hated lawyers and would probably classify Tony as one, now, so Tony just had to turn down the cases that involved the NCIS MCRT and he’d be fine.

What he hadn’t counted on was Vance reneging on their agreement that he would use another trial consultant for MCRT cases. Before Jason realized just exactly what case they were working on, he’d already ran smack dab into Gibbs. 

“Tony?” Gibbs gasped.

“Dr. Bull.” Tony held out his hand. “I’ve heard much about you, Agent Gibbs.”

McGee and Ziva looked over at Gibbs gasp and rushed over. “Is it really you, Tony? We looked everywhere for you.”

“The name is Jason Bull. I’m the trial consultant. Now, tell me about this case.”

“Don’t be like that, Tony.” Abby begged, appearing upstairs as she’d caught the scene down in her lab.

Tony stared down at the limpet, known as Abby, now attached to him in consternation. Marissa was having trouble keeping a straight face. She wasn’t used to seeing people touch Dr. Bull against his will like that without him doing them some serious harm.

Tony didn’t quite know how to extract himself from this situation. He was still pissed at the way the team had treated him. He wanted to storm to Vance’s office and demand that he get someone else to work with the MCRT as they’d had an agreement that he wouldn’t work MCRT cases. 

He couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than stand there shocked. He hadn’t been expecting this at all. Marissa noticed him floundering and stepped in, detaching Ms. Sciuto from Tony and taking over the information gathering so that they would know where to start when they got back to the office. 

About 5 minutes after Marissa had corralled everyone away from Tony, Tony finally snapped out of his shock. He joined the conversation, adding in his haughty personality. By the time Marissa and him left, most of the MCRT was convinced that Dr. Bull was not Tony DiNozzo.

Not all of them were convinced though. Gibbs had his suspicions and McGee was positive that it was Tony. Unlike the others, he’d managed to find one of Tony’s old email accounts that Tony still checked and had kept in touch a little.

Tony had responded a few times to McGee. Tim and him had been friends and unlike the others, Tim had actively tried to reach out. Tony had rewarded that with periodic responses. 

He had never revealed exactly what he was doing, but he dropped enough hints that when McGee saw Jason Bull he knew immediately that it was Tony. McGee wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to work with Tony again to work through any lingering hurt feelings Tony had regarding McGee. While McGee would never leave NCIS and enjoyed the SFA position he now held, taking up all the work Tony did finally made him realize just how much Tony had truly done for the team.

Not just in terms of paperwork, but also in terms of keeping Gibbs on an even keel. McGee had found his own methods of helping people cope with Gibbs, but it wasn’t the same. Not that McGee thought he could pull off what Tony had done. He knew he couldn’t, but he didn’t want to lose Tony as a friend for good if he could help it.

Gibbs though. Gibbs was pissed that DiNozzo would abandon him. He knew Tony could excel at whatever he wanted, so he wasn’t surprised that Tony was successful. 

Now that Gibbs knew exactly where Tony had hid himself, he was going to confront him. Gibbs did some digging and found out where Dr. Bull’s trial consultant headquarters were. Prepared to demand Tony return to working for him, Gibbs barged into their headquarters to settle this once and for all.

Cable caught Gibbs entrance on camera and gave Dr. Bull a heads up. Tony thanked Cable and adopted a carefree slouched position. He didn’t want to give the appearance that he was taking Gibbs seriously.

Gibbs slammed a hand into the wall above Tony. Tony didn’t even flinch. “That must have hurt. Do you need medical attention?”

“Tony!” Gibbs growled.

“That’s Dr. Bull to you.” Tony offered a self deprecating smile.

Gibbs snarled, grabbing Tony’s shoulders. All of Dr. Bull’s employees stepped closer at that, but Tony waved them off. 

“Did you have something to say to me? Or did you just want a punching bag again?”

That brought Gibbs up short as Tony had intended. Gibbs took a step back, not trusting himself not to hit Tony. “Is that what you think of me?”

“We’re not getting the band back together, Gibbs. It will be easier for everyone if you just accept that. You had your chance. You blew it.”

Gibbs face fell, despair skittering across it. “Won’t you give me another chance?”

“Not at work. We’ll work this case, but McGee will be our contact with NCIS MCRT, not you.”

“I don’t understand what happened to us.”

“I don’t either, but it’s way too late to change it now.”

Gibbs shoulders slumped and he turned to leave. Tony couldn’t take seeing him so hurt and the words jumped out, “Find your heart again, Gibbs. It makes a big difference. I would know.”

Tony still missed some parts of NCIS. He had always enjoyed working with Gibbs even at the end, but he’d been getting crushed. It hadn’t been until he’d walked away and found new enjoyment in his life that he’d been able to put it all in perspective. 

He meant what he said. Finding his heart again had made a world of difference for him. Now, he wasn’t just going through the motions anymore.

Oh, relationships were still something he struggled with, but he at least looked forward to his work every day again. He’d lost that between when he started at NCIS and when he left. He shot off a text to McGee with the address of their building and a note that he would be their liaison.

He knew McGee would keep it professional, unlike Gibbs. Maybe this would be good for their relationship too. They’d shared half a dozen or so emails over the years and hadn’t really worked through things though they’d both apologized for some of the things they’d done. 

Tony hoped that they’d have time to clear the air, assuming that was something McGee wanted. Their relationship would never be the same, but at least they could start repairing the holes in their friendship. At least, that was Tony’s hope. 

McGee arrived an hour later and they started the mock trials to see how their mock jurors responded to various ways to present the case. McGee mostly watched though he did have some testimony to give. He was impressed.

This wasn’t a side of Tony he was used to seeing. During one of the breaks, McGee walked up to Tony and whispered, “Why didn’t you ever let us see this side of you?”

“I would have, but by the time I was ready you and Ziva had already started teaming up against me. The one time I let it out, you guys hated it and thought I was a different person.”

“You kind of are, but we would have gotten used to it. Or at least I would have. I miss you.”

“Me too, Tim. Me too. It’s too late now.”

“I’m still sorry for the way I hurt you.”

“I know you are. I’m sorry if I took things too far sometimes. You needed a backbone or you’d never have survived being Gibbs’ SFA.”

“Yeah. I get that now, Tony. Can we be friends again?”

“In time. I think we can, but let’s just get through this case together first, ok?”

“You got it.” McGee shot Tony a big smile full of hope.

The case went to trial and with Dr. Bull’s help they were able to get a jury in favor of the NCIS agents. It was with a great sense of satisfaction that Dr. Bull walked out of the courtroom after receiving the verdict that NCIS wanted. 

He knew his friendship with Tim would recover. Gibbs understood now. Tony didn’t know if Gibbs would change, but he hoped that Gibbs did for Gibbs’ sake.

The rest of the MCRT still had no clue that Jason Bull and Tony DiNozzo were the same man and that’s the way he wanted it. He had enough demons after Jason Bull. He didn’t need any of Tony DiNozzo’s cropping up and messing with his new life.

**Author's Note:**

> Also, I'm looking for a writing buddy. Full details are [here](https://cutsycat.livejournal.com/53610.html). It is friends locked, so you'll have to add me as a friend on lj before you can read it. 
> 
> Also, Drakonyashka has translated a couple of my works into Russian. [Tutelage](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378780) and [Imbue](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12378840). Go support them.
> 
>  **Warning! Warning! 2017 ends in about 2 months. When 2017 ends, the 2017 prompt collection will close.** You have 50 prompts you can use for 2017. Use them up before they go away. Prompts are currently open. If you'd like to prompt me, please do so [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/NCIS_Prompts_2017/profile). Note you have to be an ao3 member to do this. 
> 
> When 2018 starts, I will open a 2018 Prompt collection. In fact, I have already created the 2018 Prompt collection [here](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/cutsycat_NCIS_Prompts_2018/profile), but sign ups are closed until 2018, so you won't be able to sign up and prompt me on this collection, yet. The 2017 prompts continue to remain over for you to prompt me with until the end of the year.
> 
> If you are not an ao3 member, you can prompt me [here](http://cutsycat.livejournal.com/50701.html). Please follow the same rules as are listed in the above link. However, because this is a handmade prompt form(that thinks it's a poll), it is considerably more limited than what ao3 provides, so please use the ao3 form if you're an ao3 member. Please note the name option is for a name that I can say this is for so that you know it's for you. Since this is for non ao3 members it won't be true gifts, but you will be mentioned in the notes.
> 
> Feel free to leave feedback here if you think something could be improved(either in the prompt process or the story itself).


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